However, some folks have expressed frustration with the site, and say their votes are not going through. If that happens, then just cut and paste:

I nominate @chrisgelken for a @shortyawards in #charity because... Then U have 40 characters to say why!

Paste it into your regular twitter comment box and send.. It will show up! Unless your avatar (picture) is an egg... apparently the Shorties don’t accept eggs.

Ridealist Productions is a free service to small, grassroots non-profits and community groups. We help NPOs get their message across - dealing with subjects such as violence against women, child abuse, poverty, inequality, human rights, the environment. More than 30 videos and more than a quarter of a million views in the past year alone.

And we do this pro-bono. Your vote could help us not only draw attention to the causes we represent, but also possible sponsorship in order to keep our service completely free to those who cannot afford to pay.